The Game is on
by disneyfan1968
Summary: Mal finds a prized possession of Ben's and has some fun.
1. Chapter 1

Ok so this came to me after finding an old Teddy bear of mine that I had packed away when I moved. Also the bears name is based on Dove's tattoo that she, her sister and mother all have. Matière D'étoiles

A little fluff piece, because I HAVE MAJOR writers block on my other piece, Parents.

The Game is on.

To say Mal had seen Ben's dorm room A handful of times was right on point. Ben was so polite, he always picked Mal up at her door, or met her after class. So when Mal had the chance to see into his room on those rare occasions she took it.

The first time Mal saw into, and actually walked into Ben's room was after they had been dating for about 2 months. Mal, like her other VK friends, were still getting used to all the food available to them, and, reminding themselves not to over eat, was still hard to do. Just two nights ago, Mal had gone to her first movie in an actual movie theater with Ben. And she seriously over indulged on the movie popcorn, candy and soda. So the next day, she had a stomach ache for most of the day. And because of it Mal missed a day of school. So the day after that, after she recovered, she had to get notes from her friends and classmates, for the day she missed. Ben happened to be in one of her classes, and he had the geometry notes she needed, but he had left his notebook in his room, so she followed him back to the room to get them.

"Remember, leave the door open." He said to her as they entered the room. "We don't want Fairy Godmother getting mad at us."  
"Evie and I close the door all the time when the boys are in our room, and we in theirs."  
"And you guys aren't dating, are you." He teased. Mal shrugged, not seeing the connection, but, she gave up. Her eyes roamed around his single room, filled with more blue and gold than Mal had ever wanted to see. And his bed was huge. Like three of hers huge. She so wanted to jump on it, but she resisted the urge. But what caught her eye was a rather loved teddy bear in the middle of the bed. Mal wanted to laugh, seriously, her Benny Bear, had a bear.

"Um, Benny Bear…." She teased with Audreys nickname for Ben. "What's with the fuzzy pillow?" Ben had his back to her, as he was pulling his notebook from his other school bag. He turned around to find Mal lying across his bed, holding his most prized possession.

"And you can put him down, thank you."  
"Well ok." Mal said, slightly offended. "He's cute."  
"That is Star, well Mon Etoile actually, he was given to me by my grandfather Maurice, not long before he died."  
"Oh, wow, sorry." Mal said gently putting the bear down. "I didn't realize…"  
"It's ok. Let's just say it isn't very kingly to have a teddy bear on your bed, but Star, he means a lot to me. Here are the notes. I hate to throw you out, but I have a meeting I need to get to."  
"I understand." Mal smiled, and placed a quick kiss unto his cheek, and bounced out of the room.

Mal had forgotten about the little bear after that, until the next time she had call to knock on Ben's dorm door. This time was several months later. She had just changed her hair blonde and she wanted to see what Ben thought. Upon knocking, no one answered, yet He had said in his text he would in his room all afternoon, until his 500 meeting. It was only 330. She knocked again. Chad came out of his room.

"Who's banging?….oh Hey Mal. Ben sometimes has headphones in, to drown out the dorm noises." Mal paused, you could have heard a pin drop in that hallway, but she shrugged, and tried the door knob. She found it unlocked. No Ben. She walked further into his room, and looked around. It had changed a little since she was in it last. It felt less blue and gold. It felt less formal...it felt comfortable. And there were pictures of the two of them everywhere. It made her smile. One familiar thing in the room though, Star, sat proudly in the middle of his bed. Mal walked across the room and picked the bear up. She held him close, he smelled….like the tourney shirt..like Ben. Mal relaxed in the thought, and aroma of the familiar scent.

Ben returned after the emergency on campus, to find his girlfriend curled up on his bed sleeping with his bear...and having blonde hair. He wasn't sure which upset him more, the fact that she had changed her beautiful purple locks to boring blonde, or that she was holding his prized treasure.

"UH HUM." He cleared his throat, and Mal shot straight up. "Tired?"  
"You scared me." She whined.

"Sorry, wasn't expecting to find what I found." He laughed. "Have a nice nap?"  
"I got bored waiting for you." She countered.

"And what was the big news you wanted to share?" He asked knowing it had to be the hair.

"REALLY!"

"I am kidding, it's nice." He said touching a strand of the blonde hair, with purple tips. His fingers lingering on the purple ends.

"Nice, that's all I get?!" Ben was confused.

"It's not you, that's all. I like the real you."  
"I am trying for a more….Auradon look."  
"Try it for a while, but bring the original back soon." He smiled. Then he held out his hands for the bear. "Please?"  
"I should take him for that comment."  
"But you won't."  
"No I won't. I may not have, had a special toy as a kid, but I know that memories, can be attached to lots of things."  
"Thank you. I know you don't like to hear me say things like this, but Audrey never could understand my attachment to Mon Etoile. She never lost anyone she was close to. Her other grandparents all died before she was born, and well…"  
"Yeah, Leah is still kicking." Mal shrugged, and handed Star over, after one last hug, and deep breath.

"Blonde does suit you Mal, but I do like my Mal best of all." He kissed her cheek. Mal left the room, not sure if she would keep the blonde locks or not.

The next time Mal was in Ben's room was just before she was heading out to the isle, overnight, to get the isle interested in VK day. She had left the applications for the kids to fill at the palace, and Ben had brought them back for her to pick up. Mal knocked, and again, no Ben. She found the papers and was turning to leave when she spotted Star. She really wanted to take Ben's tourney shirt with her to the isle, to help her get over missing him, but well, it was starting to lose it's 'Ben" smell. They were so much closer now, maybe, he would trust her with Star. Smiling a wicked smile, Mal slipped Star into her backpack. She left Ben a note, "Sorry we missed you, see you after we return. Love Mal and lil' S"

Ben arrived in his room, to find the papers for the isle gone, as well as Star. "MAL!" He shouted, seeing the note. 'If she loses him, or leaves him behind I will send her back alone for him!'

Mal returned from her isle trip, and Ben was busy in a meeting, so Mal placed Star onto his bed. She left a little note, from Star to Ben. "Papa, thank you for letting Mal take me to the isle I had lots of fun...Mon Etoile." Mal had to look that one up, the french spelling, but she felt it was worth the extra few seconds. Mal was laughing as she left his room. Audrey didn't find that funny in the least. She was upset, first that Mal now had a key to Ben's room, but also that she was in his room, and laughing as she came out.

Ben returned from his meeting to find a very angry Audrey outside his room. "Benny you need to be careful, Mal was just in there, and she came out laughing, she must have laid a trap for you. Wait, be careful!" Audrey shouted, as Ben opened the door. He saw nothing other than his precious bear, back in it's spot on his bed.

"Nope, I am good, thanks." He shut the door on her face. Ben crossed the room and picked up the bear and the note. He noticed, Star was a little different, not on the outside, but his smell...he was starting to smell like Mal. She must have slept with him on the isle. Ben smiled broadly. Maybe letting her take him, was a good thing after all. One night of sleeplessness without his precious bear, might just have been worth it. Ben read the note and roared in laughter. He put Star down and pulled out his phone.

"Mama, thank you for a nice mommy and son trip, love you Star." He texted Mal.

Mal opened the text from Ben and started laughing. Evie just looked at her. "M?"  
"Ok, so that bear I took from Ben?" Evie nodded, she saw Mal sleeping with it on the isle. "So it was given to Ben by his grandfather before he died. He calles it Star or Mon Etoile, which is my star in french. Anyway, he really doesn't like me to touch it, well meanings and all, but I kind of took him anyway. So when I returned it, I left him a note from the bear, saying Papa, thank you for letting Mal take me to the isle I had lots of fun...Mon Etoile. So he just texted me back." Mal showed Evie the text. She laughed to.

"That's cute M. Now what?"  
"Oh see now the game is on." She laughed. "Star needs a few more Mommy/Bear moments."  
"What do you mean?" Mal just smiled, held up the key to Ben's room, and her phone.

Mal waited a week before borrowing Star again. This time, Ben was away for the day in Agrabah, so Mal to the key and Star and took a quick ride on her scooter, to The Enchanted Lake. She pulled Star out of the bag, and placed him onto the platform. Mal pulled out a picnic basket, and strawberries. She pretended to be having a picnic with Star. She took a few pictures of him and sent them to Ben. "Star and I are recreating Mommy and Daddies first date." She added to the pictures. When Ben opened them, he tried not to laugh, as he was in a meeting. He just replied, 'wish I was there.'

Ben returned that afternoon and sent a text and picture to Mal. It was Etoile, holding a picture of Mal. "Missing Mommy." It said. Mal laughed. So Now Ben was in on the game, this was even better.

Mal borrowed Etoile whenever she could think of another little stunt to pose him in. He went to a tourney match, and Evie even made him a little Ben shirt. "Cheering Daddy on." Mal texted. He went to a dance, a dinner at the palace, where Mal left him tucked in her bed, she texted to Ben before they went to dinner, "Mommy and Daddy get to go to a fancy dinner, and I have to go to bed, I can't wait to be older."

Ben also returned the fun. Once Mal was sick from a cold, and Ben texted a picture of Star holding a sign, Feel better soon Mommy. Another time when he was away for a week in Corona. He had taken Star because, well he didn't want Mal to have him...he was really starting to smell like her and it helped when he was away. "I miss you mommy, Papa does to." And another picture he sent showed the bear holding a little gift bag. "We bought you a present Mommy."

But his favorite was when Evie let him into their room, while Mal was at her etiquette class with his mother, he placed the bear onto her bed and sent, "I have a secret…" The bear on her bed. Mal laughed, and came back to find the bear alone on her bed, and a balloon in his hands.

This went on from time to time, whenever they could come up with a cute new idea, Star appeared in a new message.

One of the last times before graduation, Mal had a chance to take him, was during her classes, it was almost finals, but Ben again had to miss class because of an emergency. So Mal snuck Star into her school bag. She took a picture of the bear at the desk, before people came in, then again in her locker. And one in the cafeteria. Mal had managed to be the first one in, and took a quick shot. "I went to school with Mommy today, Daddy, Love Etoile." Mal sent.

This time Ben couldn't hide his snicker of laughter, and his father looked at him. "Sorry, text from Mal." He whispered. Ben texted Back "Glad you two are having fun."

Mal spent the day sneaking photos of Star places she was. The library, the common, his room, even the palace, she had gone there for dinner with Belle, since the men were gone, as Belle put it. Mal had let Belle in on her little fun, and she played along. Mal's last shot to Ben was Belle 'reading' a story to the bear. "Reading her grandson a bedtime story."

"Real funny." Ben joked out loud then texted. "Take good care of our son."

What Mal didn't know was that Audrey had peaked at her phone, while Mal was grabbing her lunch earlier that day. And what she saw, sent her into a tisy. It was a picture of Mal holding the bear, outside on the common. Evie had helped Mal take the picture, while no one was around. It read. "Mommy and I can't wait to see you tomorrow, love Mon Etoile." Audrey totally ignored the fact that Mal was holding the bear, it was the text itself, forgetting that the bear's name was Mon Etoile. She quickly took a picture of the text and closed the phone. She walked away and when she was free of eyes and ears, she called her Grandmother. "Grammie, I think Ben got Mal ...pregnant." She said quietly.

"What….What makes you think that?"  
"He is off campus today, and she sent him a picture, and the text read Mommy and I can't wait to see you love Mon Etoile. I looked it up that means little star."  
"Well, well, isn't that interesting. See what else you can find out. This will not look good for them especially her."

"I will."

Audrey didn't have a chance at Mal's phone again that day, and Ben was delayed another day, so Mal was having another day sending him pictures of the bear. It was a Saturday so she didn't have classes. She took the bear out into the common, and placed him under a tree, 'reading' a book. Mal decided to take a shot, saying 'Studying hard with Mommy.'

Audrey, actually hired a hacker to get into Mal's phone. She had the number, thanks to being together a few months back on a dance committee, so that was all the hacker needed. Now she had all the pictures and texts. She presented them to her grandmother over tea in town.

"Very good Audrey dear. Looks like Belle knows about the little secret, this will be interesting. But, what we really need is for to admit she is pregnant. Actually get her to say the word. Otherwise, this could be interpreted as just play talking."  
"Ok. I guess I can try and do that."  
"Oh, that's easy, just call her on it in public. Either way, she will have her reputation ruined."  
"I mean she does after all have a key to Ben's room."  
"Really. I didn't know that."  
"Yes, in case of an emergency, and he needs something there he left, she can get it for him without having to find the floor monitor or Fairy Godmother, to save time."

"My My, isn't that nice."

Audrey found her chance to call Mal out on her little pranks, that evening at dinner. Mal was with her friends but not eating. She had, had a late lunch, around 430, with Belle and she wasn't hungry, but Audrey didn't hear that part. "What not hungry Mal. They do say morning sickness is just a term, and can happen any time of day."  
"What are you going on about Audrey?" Mal asked, a crowd growing, having heard Audrey's rather loud exclamation.

"Your friends are eating, you aren't. Food not settling to well?"  
" I had a late lunch with Belle about an hour ago, so I am not hungry." Mal shook her head, having no idea what Audrey was going on about. Just then Ben responded to Mal's latest picture of Star. "Glad you and mommy had a nice lunch with Nana." Audrey grabbed the phone before Mal could put it away, she read the text out loud.

"What does that mean Mal, sounds pretty clear to me."  
"Oh that." She and her friends laughed. They were all in on it. Audrey was the only one who had no clue. Their laughing didn't make her happy.

"So you are all ok that she's pregnant!"  
"Audrey, this it Etoile." Mal said taking the bear out of the bag. "I have been playing a little game with Ben and his bear for months. His grandfather Maurice gave him this bear when he was little. It is important to Ben. I have been taking pictures of the bear places I have gone for weeks now and Ben has too when I don't have it. It's a running joke between he and I. I am NOT pregnant!" Mal said.

"Really." Audrey went through the messages. "So Reading her grandson a bedtime story isn't a clue. You are in the picture."  
"Holding the bear." Evie pointed out.

"What about this one? I miss you Momma." She showed a picture of Ben and the bear on his bed.

"Again the bear is in the photo." Jay pointed out.

What Audrey didn't see was Carlos texting under the table to Ben telling him Audrey had Mal's phone and was talking about the Star text messages as if Mal was pregnant. Just then Mal's phone went off, she tried to grab it, but Carlos touched her arm. She realised he was in on the text coming in. Audrey read it out loud before even reading it.

"Mal, miss you and Etoile. Can't wait to see you and my little Star, aka my bear, soon. I still can't believe I have actually allowed you to take him on these adventures, well you know how much Etoile means to me, and you have been so good to "our son". 'Daddy' will see you soon I love you." Audrey stopped dead in her tracks. She had just read the answer she didn't want to share with everyone. And she had no idea Carlos had texted Ben.

"I think that proves our point Audrey, now Mal's phone." Jay said holding out his hands. She placed the phone into his hands, and storms off. "And that is all there is to see here." Jay said to the crowd. Once they left Mal turned to Carlos.

"Thank you, I assume that was you?"  
"Yeap. Just a quick text under the table to let him know Audrey was into your phone and the Star texts and he knew what to do."  
"Way to go Carlos." Evie said, kissing his cheek, and Jay swished his hair.

"Ok, so what have you done with the bear?" Lonnie just had to ask.

"Lets see." Mal pulled out the pictures in her phone. "I recreated our first date. Took him to class, put him in my locker, had school lunch with him, tea with Belle, which by the way she is in on this whole thing and loves it. I am sending her each picture after it's taken. I believe she is putting them together for Ben as a joke. She read the bear a story. He studied with me and Evie on the common, he slept with me in bed." Mal showed the table the pictures.

"This is great." Jane smiled. Of all the kids at the table, she knew most of all how much Etoile means to Ben. "Can I share a story with you guys?' They nodded.

"So Star. He has always sat on Ben's bed. I know this well, because I have known Ben forever, anyway, one day he had left his room open in the dorms, and had gone to class. This was maybe 7th or 8th grade. Audrey had seen the bear sitting on his bed and felt that, that wasn't a proper thing for the future king to have on his bed. She took it upon herself to take the bear and donate it to the local children's home. Ben was lucky, I was in charge of checking the donations for rips, tears, and other safety issues. As soon as I took him out of the bin I knew what I had in my hands, and put him aside. I knew it was a mistake that Star was in the bin. Later that day in here, Audrey told Ben what she had done, but only because he looked rather upset when he had walked into the cafeteria. He was furious! I mean I have never heard Ben yell before. I ran over and tried to calm him down, but Audrey just told me to leave it alone, that Ben needed to be a big boy and give up his toys. Ben left in a rage. I knew he was heading to the donation bins. I stopped him, telling him I had already taken the bin for the day, and not to worry I had Star and he was fine. He was so grateful. It was after that day, he really kept a close eye on Star. I can't believe Audrey didn't realise you had the bear, that bear."  
"Thank you for that Jane. I am glad you were looking out for Ben. I know what Etoile means to him, and that his allowing me to even touch him is hard on him. I just had no idea why until now. I think I had better return Star to his rightful place for now." Mal smiled, and headed off to Ben's room.

What Mal didn't know was that Ben was back and when she turned the key into the lock, she was expecting the room to be dark when she opened the door. "What the...Ben!" She rushed into his arms. "You're back."  
"Well that is greeting I expected from you Momma." He teased, and she broke out laughing. "How is our son?" He added.

" I was just bringing him back. Why didn't you ever tell me what Audrey did putting him into the donation box. I swear I never would have taken this so far if I had known you almost lost him."

"To be honest I almost did, but you... first off take great care of him, second this was getting really fun. And last, to be selfish, he is starting to smell like you, so it makes missing you at night worth it." Mal smiled, he knew about his tourney shirt pillow case. He knew that was why she liked the shirt.

"I can understand that." Mal smiled.

"Thank Carlos for the text."  
"I did believe me. We all did."

Mal stopped taking Etoile after that. Mainly because Ben had given her her own bear. Her first ever teddy bear.


	2. The Scrapbook

The Scrapbook.

This came from a suggestion from a reviewer. power214063 What would happen when Ben and Mal's kids find the scrapbook Belle put together of the pictures of the little Bear, Mon Etoile.

Belle had spent the afternoon watching her mischievous three years old twin grandchildren. They had tricked her into playing hide and seek. When Belle had been counting they ran off, heading into the section of the castle where their bedrooms were. Malik had found his mother and fathers room open and he dared to go in, knowing they weren't allowed in there without an adult. Between the important papers and the other breakable family treasures, they were never allowed to touch, they were hardly allowed into their parent's room. Isabella, Bella for short, found her brother Malik entering the room. "Mali, if momma and Daddy find you in their room...oh no."  
"Its fine, Bella, I just going to have a look. I won't touch." Malik said entering the room and crossing the lounge towards the door into next room, where Mal and Ben's bed was.  
"Mali...Nannie will find us soon, she is good and hide and seek. This her home to." Belle warned, watching her brother go to the door into her parents bedroom.  
"I know Bells. But I just want to look at it."  
"It?" Belle asked, as Malik opened the inner door.  
"The bear." Malik said crossing to the light and turning it on.  
"The one in the glass? Daddies bear?" Bella asked seeing Malik standing at the case  
"Yeah, that. I don't know why we can't touch him." He said touching the case, hand on the door knob the case.

"Malik please, please don't be bad. Mommy wants us to be better than she was when she was little."  
"I am touching a teddy bear Bella, not stealing food." Mal was honest with her kids about her past.

"And touching something that doesn't belong to you, especially when asked not to, isn't being good either Malik." Belle said behind them. "Thank you for trying to stop him Isabella." Belle ruffled the light purple locks of her granddaughter.

"Nannie, I am sorry, but the bear...he is a toy he should be played with."  
"Mon Etoile, was played with when your father was young. And he had an adventure for a few months after your father met your mother. Let me show you something. But first, one touch can't hurt. I will allow you each one cuddle, but that is it." Belle opened the case, and gave Isabella the first hug, since she had been the better of the two in this case. After they both had their hugs, she took the kids into her library.

"Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Benjamin. On his second birthday his grandpa Maurice gave him a bear. His Grandpa Maurice lived far away from him, so Ben didn't get to see him very often." On the page was a picture of Ben, Maurice and the bear.  
"Nannie who is Grandpa Maurice?" Bella asked pointing to the picture.  
"He was my father. He died a short while after he gave your daddy this bear." She smiled, and read on. "Grandpa loved Ben and often called him his little star. He told Ben the bear was named Mon Etoile, or little star. Ben loved that bear. It went with him everywhere he did." Again she showed the kids the page, and there were a few pictures of Ben growing up with the bear.

"Wait, I know that girl? That's Adaila." Malik said, pointing to the 7year old Audrey in the book.

"No sweetie that's her mommy Queen Audrey. You father and Adaila's mommy have known each other almost all their lives.

"One day Ben was ready to go to Auradon Prep. He took Mon Etoile with him. And he sat on Ben's bed for a few years. Then Ben met Mal." Bella squealed.

"Mommy. This is about Mommy and Daddy."

"Yes." Belle smiled, remembering helping Mal with the adventures. Her favorite was the day she and Mal had tea with the bear, and she 'read' him a story. Belle read the whole story of Mon Etoile's adventures.

Ben and Mal were sitting in Ben's office when their very loud and rambunctious twins came running into the office. "Momma, Dadda." The two three year olds yelled.

"Bella, Malik, what is all that noise about." Ben laughed. The twins climbed into each of their parents laps.

"Nana Belle showed us pictures." Bella squealed. Mal laughed, knowing how much Belle loved pictures.

"Really, what pictures did she show you this time?" Ben asked the little girl smiling on his lap.

"Mon Etoile." Malik bragged. Ben and Mal exchanged looks, the memories of Ben's favorite teddy bear flooding their thoughts. He now sat in a glass cabinet in Ben and Mal's room. "You know the teddy in the glass box. Nannie caught us, well me really, trying to open the case, and told us he was so special to you and Momma, and that we can't touch him."

"That is true son, Mon Etoile, little Star, is a teddy bear my grandfather gave me when I was maybe just about your age."  
"He went to school." Bella laughed. Mal smiled. She knew what book Belle shared with her little ones. Mal remembered the day she and Belle made the book. It was just a few weeks before Ben's 20th birthday.

Mal was sitting in Belle's library, when Belle came in with a pile of pictures, paper and glue. "Oh good Mal, I was hoping to have your help with a little project. I want to organize the Star picture for Ben, and I need your help I was wondering if you still had all the notes and texts that went along the pictures."  
"Sure, in my room." Mal bounced out of the room, and grabbed her phone and the notes. She even had Ben's notes as well. She handed them to Belle. "I'll go to Ben's office and print the text messages."  
"Try and keep them in order, I want this to tell a story. I want to give it to Ben for his birthday."  
"I will, if they get messed up, I have the texts on my phone to fix it."

Mal and Belle spent the day putting the pictures in order, and adding the notes and texts.

"So Nannie showed you the book about Star?" Ben asked. He smiled.

"Yes, Star went to school with Mommy, he went to the magic lake."

"He went to the isle and Mommy's room at school. Momma, how did you do that?" Malik asked.  
"Do what Mali?"

"Take him on adventures, when he is in a box?"  
"Mon Etoile wasn't always in the glass box Baby." Mal answered. "Hold on." Mal put her son down, and went in search of two things, the book and Mon Etoile.

When Mal returned she found her husband at his desk, and the two kids sitting each on one leg.

"Mommy you took him out!" Belle exclaimed. "But that's a no no."  
"For you two, yes. But Mommy and I can touch him, we know how to be gentle with him."  
"I be gentle to." Bella said.

"We shall see." Mal added, winking at her husband. "Come to the couch." She called the twins, who bounced off their fathers knee and over to their parents.

Mal opened the scrapbook. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Benjamin. On his second birthday his grandpa Maurice gave him a bear. His Grandpa Maurice lived far away from him, so Ben didn't get to see him very often." Mal paused and made sure the kids saw the picture Belle added from when Ben was little, sitting on his bed, with his Grandpa.

"Mommy, seeing the picture kind of made Nana sad." Bella asked.

"Nannie misses her daddy very much." Mal pointed out  
"He died a long time ago, but she still misses him." Ben added.  
"Oh, like Adalia's Grammie Leah?" Bella asked about Audrey's daughter. Leah had died at the age of 99 just a few months ago.

"Yes, honey just like that." Mal turned the page, the next picture was Star sitting on Ben's bed. "Little Star sat on Ben's bed everyday. One Day Ben was old enough to go to Auradon Prep. Star, moved to a new bed." The next page showed Star on Ben's bed in the dorms.

"Star spent everyday on Ben's bed for the first few years Ben attended AP. The Mal arrived."  
"That's you mommy." Bella pointed out the picture of Mal from the day she arrived.

"It is. That was from the day Daddy and I first met. Almost 10 years ago." Mal remembered. She looked at Ben who smiled broadly at the memory.

"Best day of my life." Ben added, crossing the room and kissing Mal.

"Yucky, Daddy." Malik said, so Ben and Mal covered both kids in kisses, they ended up giggling. After they calmed down, Mal read on.

"Star stayed on Ben's bed until one day Mal walked into Ben's room, and saw him sitting there. She had gone to see Ben and he wasn't there, so she sat on his bed looking at the little bear. Mal ended up falling asleep, holding the little bear." Mal read. "I had forgotten you had snapped that picture of me with Star." Mal added to Ben.

"Yeah, you were way to cute, not to." He laughed. Mal picked the book back up.

"MOMMY, what happened to your hair?" Bella yelled, seeing her mother with Blond hair. It wasn't the pretty purple, like she had. She hadn't noticed it before when Nannie was reading the book.

"Long story for another time." Mal winked at Ben. She turned back to the book. "The next time Mal came into Ben's room, she decided to take Star with her on an adventure. Mal was going back to her home, and she was going to miss Ben. So she took Mon Etoile. Ben missed him and her while she was gone overnight. When she came back, Mal returned the little bear onto Ben's bed and left a note. Papa, thank you for letting Mal take me to the isle I had lots of fun...Mon Etoile." Mal read the note on the page. Belle had put the notes, pictures and Mal's telling of the story onto each page. Mal loved the book, and so had Ben when Belle had given it to him. "Ben had returned to his room and found Etoile and the note. It made him smile, so he send Mal a picture and a message. "Mama, thank you for a nice mommy and son trip, love you Star."

"Because Mal realized that Ben really was ok with Etoile taking a little trips, Mal decided to take him on my adventures. He went with Mal to the Enchanted Lake and had a picnic. And Ben sent another picture back when Mal returned him. After that, he went to see Ben play Tourney, and back to Ben's bed in the palace for a night while Ben and Mal had a fancy dinner to go to. Mal caught a cold, and Ben sent her a picture of Etoile holding a sign saying 'Feel better soon Mommy.'

"Mommy, that one, Nannie said Etoile knows a secret, what was it?"  
"Oh that's easy. That was the day daddy had picked up Mommy's ring that I was giving her to ask her to marry me." Ben answered.

"I had wondered if that was it." Mal laughed. "So Etoile had many trips with Mal and Ben. He was read stories by Nannie, went to class with Mal, even snuck into the cafeteria at Auradon Prep."

"He also got a friend." Mal finished. Turning the page to show a picture first of Mal holding her very first teddy bear, and the last one was of Etoile and Mal's bear sitting on their bed together in the palace.

"Mommy there are two bears, but there is only one bear in the glass box." Malik pointed out.

"Oh that's because Mommy's bear is in her room. Daddy still takes it when he goes away and Mommy doesn't come along."  
"Wait, Daddy sleeps with a teddy bear." Bella asked.

"Yes Daddy sleeps with Little Sun, Petit Soleil. Mommy named her bear little Sun since Daddys bear was little star."  
"Oh, that's funny." Malik laughed. "Wait we have bears to."  
"Yes, you do. Nannie and Pop Pop gave them to you each the day you were born."  
"Do they have names?"  
"Nope, unless you named them. Nannie thought you would name them when you were old enough."  
"We will think." Bella said. She grabbed her brothers hand and wandered off to grab their bears.

Mal and Ben were sitting in the office, when the two three years olds ran back in, Bears in hand. "Momma, Dadda, meet Beast and Dragon." Ben and Mal laughed, their kids named their bears after the nicknames they had for each other. Malik's bear was Beast and Bella had Dragon.

"I love their names guys. You did a great job. Why don't you go tell Nannie."

"I can not believe they actually heard us call each other those nicknames. I haven't called you my little Dragon in quite a long while. And I can't remember the last time you called me your beast."  
"Your mom." Mal pointed out. "She was telling them stories about us, my guess is her." Mal smiled. "My beast."  
"I don't ever understand why I ever stopped calling you that my little dragon." Ben pulled Mal into his arms and kissed her.


End file.
